Carnival Corporation Stock Outlook: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?

Company Overview - Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) has a market cap of $33.3 billion and operates as a global cruise company providing leisure travel services across various international markets, including North America, Australia, and Europe [1] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, CCL shares have gained 12.8%, lagging behind the S&P 500 Index, which increased by 13.9%. Year-to-date, CCL shares are down 6.1%, while the S&P 500 has risen by 1.5% [2] - Despite this, CCL shares have outperformed the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY), which returned 6.4% over the same period [3] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, CCL reported revenue of $6.33 billion, which missed expectations. However, shares jumped 9.8% due to adjusted EPS of $0.34 beating forecasts significantly and adjusted net income of $454 million exceeding guidance by over $150 million, driven by strong demand and cost control [4] - For the fiscal year ending in November 2026, analysts project a 12.9% year-over-year increase in adjusted EPS to $2.54. CCL has a promising earnings surprise history, having beaten consensus estimates in the last four quarters [4] Analyst Ratings - Among 25 analysts covering CCL, the consensus rating is a "Strong Buy," consisting of 18 "Strong Buy" ratings, one "Moderate Buy," and six "Holds" [5] - Bernstein raised its price target on CCL to $33 while maintaining a "Market Perform" rating. The mean price target of $37.83 indicates a potential upside of 31.9%, with the highest target at $46 suggesting a 60.4% upside [6]